Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Beloved

Holy Shit. Why did it take me so long to read this book? And, why is it not required reading in all U.S. high schools? (Scratch that question. I know why.)

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katsbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"That anybody white could take your whole self for anything that came to mind. Not just work, kill, or maim you, but dirty you. Dirty you so bad you couldn’t like yourself anymore."

"...we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.”

“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”

“You are your best thing”

I don't even know how to formulate my thoughts on this novel but I'm going to try. If you are a faster reader, like me, my best advice when reading this book is to slow down. This book is not meant to be inhaled in 1-2 sittings. The writing is gorgeous, obviously. Morrison won a Nobel for this book for a reason. However, there is so much symbolism and allegory that takes a hot minute to unpack. I am not ashamed to admit that I had to look up the SparkNotes for this book to understand some of the underlying symbolism. I'm incredibly glad I did because when I finished the book, I honestly felt let down. I felt confused and unsure of what I had read. I often found myself questioning whether certain passages were meant to be taken seriously. What would have helped me going in was understanding that there are two timelines. The one that begins when Paul D arrives at 124 ("present time") and the timeline told through flashbacks. There are two significant climaxes, one for each timeline. After the first one, I was really confused about where the rest of the novel could possibly be going just to get when the final climax occurred. I also wished I would have looked up some of the themes so I could have made more connections as I read. As soon as I understood how one of the major themes is how slavery destroys identity, so many things clicked for me. (And to be completely transparent, the fact that that theme didn't click for me until I saw it written out explicitly says a lot about my own privilege.) I completely understand why this novel receives as many accolades as it does. It is truly impactful but I don't think it's the type of book you can go into blind unless you have a really fundamental understanding of race and the generational trauma of enslavement. As a history teacher, I thought I "got it" but I think what I appreciate about this novel is how personal it made the history. It reminded me that it's not enough to sit around and intellectualize about the impacts of the horrors of history. This novel really makes you feel the very real personal implications of it and that is absolutely awe-inducing to me.

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marissasa's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Beloved is deeply somber and at times painful. It's Toni Morrison's most well-known book and after reading it I can see why. It's full of tension and grief and symbolism, all reflecting to themes of how our pasts shape our present and future. It doesn't shy away from any of the harsh realities of slavery and how even for survivors of enslavement, their memories and trauma of torture will forever live within them even as they try to forge new identities as free colored people in their own communities. Sethe's past literally haunts her through the form of Beloved, a character that was fascinating in that she constantly bent the line between ghost of a dead child and reincarnation of a living child and as a reader you are left wondering which she is throughout the whole narrative. I am glad that I read this story and definitely want to continue reading Morrison's other books. The literary style and elegant writing she uses reflect her talent and free-thinking mind as an author who paved the way for Black writers and Black historical books to this day.

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jennifer_vars's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Beloved is a complex and carefully crafted novel but also fragmented, and surreal. Honestly though, I think that was Morrison's point? I saw another review state that sometimes reality is too painful to address in plain simple narrative. Sometimes truth has to be approached slowly to get to the heart of the matter. The character's struggles here cannot be addressed with simplistic explanations. This book will require time, patience and probably someone to discuss and decode the messages in this book with.

The novel is a ghost story but not really. What it really delves into is psychological and generational trauma through a lyrical, historical lens. It's part horror and part magical realism. The scary part of this book is not the supernatural aspect, but the horrors humans inflict on one another.

This was my second reading, and probably tougher this time around. I initially picked it up because of all the recent uproar in my state over this particular book. It was the focus of a challenge four years ago but conveniently reimagined for political play this last election cycle.

Surprising to me, I kind of agree that this may not be appropriate for even most high schoolers but not for the reasons used in the challenge. The argument for censorship is that it's too violent and too sexually mature. Well, those are simply bad faith arguments because this book was not assigned to 8 year olds but rather high school students in AP classes (aka college level). Anyone who is being honest knows that teenagers view much worse on their phones that are conveniently available in their pockets at all times. The real reason is Morrison has written a tragic and horrific account of the aftereffects of slavery in America and it makes people uncomfortable.

I wouldn't take it off the list, but the potential problem with assigning the novel is that it is an extremely difficult book to follow. The memories are told in fragmented text and the dialogue of the setting make this book one that requires patience. Some books are meant to be read at the right time in our lives. I'm an avid reader and I'm not sure I would have appreciated or been able to take in all of the nuanced meanings in high school but I don't know. I'm sure having a teacher to guide the book and discussion questions is probably best. Readers should read it when they're ready, and for me that came at my second attempt at 42.

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justsade's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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orlagal's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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looney_moons's review against another edition

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challenging dark inspiring tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Morrison's writing is engulfing, beautiful, and like no other I have ever read. In the foreword, she mentions that she wanted to write a book where the reader was thrust into it, no explanation, no nothing, and she sure did succeed. I understand that Morrison does not write for a white audience but that does not make me any less grateful for the opportunity to read this book. It's as stunning as it is confusing, as heartbreaking as it is hopeful, and justifiably one of the best books ever written. Cannot recommend enough.

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